2 Sought After Tourist Loses Pack With Cash, Jewelry

Suzanne Espinosa Solis, Chronicle Staff Writer

Published
4:00 am PDT, Tuesday, July 4, 1995

San Francisco police are looking for a man and woman connected to the Fisherman's Wharf theft of a Chinese tourist's backpack that contained nearly $9,000 in cash and jewelry plus six airline tickets and passports.

The backpack was taken just before 5 p.m. Sunday outside Alioto's restaurant after the tourist, Law Oi Ning of Hong Kong, left the backpack unattended on a bench for 2 to 3 minutes while she administered medicine to her daughter.

Ning told police that when she turned around to get her backpack, it was gone.

A witness who was waiting for his wife outside Alioto's reported seeing a couple sit on the bench next to the backpack then take the backpack to a nearby Ford Explorer. Thinking the scene was odd, the witness jotted down the vehicle's make and license plate number.

Police continued their investigation yesterday and had not yet apprehended anyone.

The witness, whose identity was not released, told police he overheard the couple talking before taking the backpack. The witness reported that the couple's brief conversation was about whether the backpack's owner was around. Apparently, the couple believed the bag had been abandoned, then picked it up and hurriedly headed to their nearby vehicle.

When Ning began acting nervous, the witness approached her and learned it was her backpack that had been taken. He had somebody call police.

Ning told police that the backpack contained $1,000 in U.S. currency, $2,000 in Canadian currency, $1,000 in British pounds, a $500 ring, a $1,600 pendant, a $1,100 necklace, an $800 bracelet and $400 in gold coins. She told police the backpack also contained passports and six United Airlines tickets belonging to herself and other tourists who traveled with her.